Signs Point to Josh Allen Starting for Bills on Sunday

Nov 6, 2022; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) pre game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

After suffering what is being called a sprained elbow during last weekend’s loss to the New York Jets, there was some speculation regarding whether or not Josh Allen would be starting against the Vikings. However, on the eve of the game, all signs have begun pointing towards Allen playing this weekend.

For starters, Allen was a limited participant in Friday’s practice. He proved ability to hold and throw a football.

Apparently, this was enough for the Bills because they opted not to elevate QB Matt Barkley off the practice squad. This left only Allen and backup Case Keenum on the active roster ahead of the game, further backing up the idea that Allen would start.

Of course, the Vikings have been planning to play against the Bills star QB on Sunday, so this shouldn’t throw too much of a wrinkle in Minnesota’s defensive plans. In fact, Keenum may have proven to be a difficult matchup as well given that he was likely on the backburner of Ed Donatell’s plans for the weekend.

However, Allen could give the Vikings defense headaches both literally and figuratively on Sunday. The QB has one of the stronger arms in the entire league, and he is a bruiser as a runner, not shying away from contact.

So far in 2022, the QB has passed for 2403 yards and 19 TDs while throwing eight interceptions. Allen’s also added 392 yards and four TDs on the ground this season.

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This already tough matchup got a little bit harder for the Vikings defense on Saturday as well. The Vikings announced during the afternoon that starting CB Cam Dantzler would be hitting IR, leaving the role to be filled by rookies Andrew Booth or Akalyeb Evans.

Evans came in last week against Washington following Dantzler’s injury. The rookie performed valiantly, making multiple big plays for Minnesota’s defense during their comeback win. The Vikings also signed Duke Shelley off the practice squad in order to provide more depth.

A major key for Minnesota is going to be creating pressure on Allen with their pass rush. Both Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith have played extremely well this season, especially in recent weeks. Putting him in a position where he has to pass more often than run could still cause some trouble for Allen given the injury.

Either way, this means the Vikings likely won’t play their fourth backup QB of the season. If the Vikings pull off their seventh consecutive win, it cannot have an asterisk put next to it by the talking heads that remain unsold on this team.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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